CFL Light set-up + unhealthy plant questions (pics included)

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pabedizzle

Active Member
Hello everyone,
First off, thanks for looking at my thread. Right now I'm not sure if there is enough lighting to maximize the growth of these plants. I've attached real pictures as well as a bird's eye view diagram to show you guys the wattage/color temperature.

Secondly, I have a plant that is looking pretty unhealthy, I'm pretty sure its due to the stress of transferring from small cups to 1/2 gallon pots, but I'm not an expert. Any input on this would be great. (I have two pictures of plants, one is the healthy and the other is unhealthy)

These pictures are from Day 8(from time of sprout) of veging, using Foxfarm soil w/ perlite. I've been using spring water whenever the top layer of soil was dry, middle level of soil was kind of wet, and the bottom was wet. (Rapidtest moisture meter) The light cycle is 18/6.

I haven't starting using nutrients yet and would wonder when a good time to do so would be. (looking at Foxfarm Big Grow)

Thanks, please post if you need any other information.
 

Attachments

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pabedizzle

Active Member
- root bound? -I'm not sure what you mean by this.
- getting to warm? -With the lights on, the temperature is about 85
- drain holes at the bottom? -There are drain holes, but I only open them when I water so that excess water can flow out. So far I haven't watered them to the point that any extra water comes out. There are no holes for air in these pots, so I make it a habit to put holes in the soil while testing the moisture
 
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CNDSOG

Well-Known Member
pabedizzle said:
- root bound? -I'm not sure what you mean by this.
- getting to warm? -With the lights on, the temperature is about 85
- drain holes at the bottom? -There are drain holes, but I only open them when I water so that excess water can flow out. So far I haven't watered them to the point that any extra water comes out. There are no holes for air in these pots, so I make it a habit to put holes in the soil while testing the moisture
Click to expand...
rootbound - when the roots get to a point when it starts to wrap around the inside of the pot and it can start choking a plant.

if you have the holes open at the bottom that might help to dry the soil out at the bottom and if your watering when its its dry (bottom) it could have lack of water where its needed
 
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pabedizzle

Active Member
CNDSOG said:
rootbound - when the roots get to a point when it starts to wrap around the inside of the pot and it can start choking a plant.

if you have the holes open at the bottom that might help to dry the soil out at the bottom and if your watering when its its dry (bottom) it could have lack of water where its needed
Click to expand...
Ohhh, they are definitely not rootbound, there was still room to work when I transferred the plants from 8oz cups to 1/2 gal pots. I'll open them up too tomorrow, hopefully that will help.
Edit: thanks for your response
 
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CNDSOG

Well-Known Member
pabedizzle said:
Ohhh, they are definitely not rootbound, there was still room to work when I transferred the plants from 8oz cups to 1/2 gal pots. I'll open them up too tomorrow, hopefully that will help.
Edit: thanks for your response
Click to expand...
do you have a fan blowing on them?
 
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thelittletruck

Well-Known Member
A plant becomes root bound when it is overwatered early on and develops roots only at the bottom of the pot/cup (as opposed to rooting the entire volume of soil). Once a plant becomes root bound, it will need to be transplanted into another pot.

To avoid this, water only when needed. Take a look at the size of your plant. It does not need very much water. I would have given them each one cup of water and then waited until the soil dried out almost completely to water again. They do not need to be watered regularly in small amounts. It is better to saturate the soil, then wait until it is dry before watering again. This way, the roots have to grow and extend into new regions of the soil that are still moist.

When a plant is overwatered, the leaves droop. This looks to be the case for your plant. And if you've been watering when the bottom of the cup still has water in it, the bottommost soil is continually wet. So the roots will go down there and then sit -> ROOTBOUND. Could be.

I would stop watering them until the soil dries out. Once the soil is dry, carefully take out your plant (gentle on the roots!) and re-pot it. Don't re-pot it so the roots are at the bottom though. Try and get as much soil as you can off them before you put your plant back in.

You should leave those drainage holes at the bottom open all the time.

85 F is fine.
And you have plenty of lighting for these little guys. You could take out the CFLs and lower the fluoros and you'd still be fine.

Do not use nutrients until your plants are bigger (at least 3 weeks i hear?) and when you start using nutes, give them 1/4 strength to start and work your way up to make sure they're ok.

Hope this helps man.
Looks like you've got a pretty good setup. What kind of CFLs are those? Are you going to flower w/ them?
And GOOD LUCK!
 
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pabedizzle

Active Member
thelittletruck said:
A plant becomes root bound when it is overwatered early on and develops roots only at the bottom of the pot/cup (as opposed to rooting the entire volume of soil). Once a plant becomes root bound, it will need to be transplanted into another pot.

To avoid this, water only when needed. Take a look at the size of your plant. It does not need very much water. I would have given them each one cup of water and then waited until the soil dried out almost completely to water again. They do not need to be watered regularly in small amounts. It is better to saturate the soil, then wait until it is dry before watering again. This way, the roots have to grow and extend into new regions of the soil that are still moist.

When a plant is overwatered, the leaves droop. This looks to be the case for your plant. And if you've been watering when the bottom of the cup still has water in it, the bottommost soil is continually wet. So the roots will go down there and then sit -> ROOTBOUND. Could be.

I would stop watering them until the soil dries out. Once the soil is dry, carefully take out your plant (gentle on the roots!) and re-pot it. Don't re-pot it so the roots are at the bottom though. Try and get as much soil as you can off them before you put your plant back in.

You should leave those drainage holes at the bottom open all the time.

85 F is fine.
And you have plenty of lighting for these little guys. You could take out the CFLs and lower the fluoros and you'd still be fine.

Do not use nutrients until your plants are bigger (at least 3 weeks i hear?) and when you start using nutes, give them 1/4 strength to start and work your way up to make sure they're ok.

Hope this helps man.
Looks like you've got a pretty good setup. What kind of CFLs are those? Are you going to flower w/ them?
And GOOD LUCK!
Click to expand...
Wow, thanks a ton for the information. I didn't know it could get like that. The unhealthy plant is 1/11. I do remember the roots being like that when I transferred them...so thats definitely the problem. I guess I read somewhere on the forums that if you let the plant do wet/dry cycles, it puts unnecessary stress on them. I watered them today before I posted and definitely gave two of them too much, hopefully those don't become rootbounded as well.

Edit: of the 6 CFLs, 4 of them are 23W and 2 of them are 42W (both 2700K (warm white)) The fluorescent tubes are 40W 6500K(Daylight) and there are 4 of those total.
I plan to flower with more 2700K CFLs...I'm probably going to switch the fluorescent tube lights to 40W 2700K ones as well.
 
suedonimn

suedonimn

Well-Known Member
They both look healthy to me... one is a little deformed but looks healthy. I find my strain has some deformed plants usually 1 or 2 out of a 20 seed germination. I have found that some of my deformed and stunted plants are the most stony, and wish I had some seed from them. Kep her alive and let her thrive she will most likely grow into a little lollypop. My experience anyway... GOOD LUCK
 
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